In the prior art there are generally two kinds of radiation monitors in general use. One of these is a system usually including a stationary frame resembling a doorway through which persons walk. The "doorway" frame is instrumented around its periphery, up one side and down the other, and the instrumentation connected to a convenient readout or display. This system is relatively heavy and bulky, and not readily mobile to a point of need. It therefore remains in place as a stationary unit, and users must go to it. It is also not generally accessible to the handicapped because of the limiting doorway configuration.
The other kind of monitor in general use is a hand held "wand" which an operator moves up and down, front and back, to scan the subject person. The disadvantage of this kind of monitor is that, in addition to the required reading and recording of data, the wand itself requires manual operation or manipulation by an operator. It is slow and painstaking and therefore not suitable for measuring radiation exposures of large numbers of people.